This past week, we celebrated National Police Week, and on the 15th, we celebrated National Peace Officers Memorial Day. I want to take this time to celebrate the men and women in blue throughout the State of Nebraska, especially in District 1.

Law enforcement officials, whether they work for police departments or county sheriffs, do so much to keep those that they serve safe. They ensure public safety by responding to incidents involving domestic violence, substance use disorders, mental health challenges, and homelessness. These are all scary situations, and only are a glimpse of what law enforcement officials do for our communities.

Every morning, our men and women in blue pin on their badges and go off to work, not knowing how their day will go. However, for our officers, a bad day is not like a bad day in an office. There are real, dire circumstances that law enforcement officials deal with. To serve and protect our communities is a dangerous occupation, and the families of our officers have to worry about whether their loved ones will come home at the end of the day. In Nebraska, we’ve had 116 law enforcement officers lose their lives in the line of duty. Many of us remember the death of Investigator Mario Herrera last August. It is during National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day that we remember Investigator Herrera and all of the other officers that have sacrificed their lives for the protection and safety of our communities.

Especially in today’s America, our men and women in uniform are under attack, both physically and as an institution.  In 2020, felonious officer deaths jumped 28 percent from 2019. This is horrendous. We should be doing what we can to protect those that sacrifice so much to protect us. Simply put, the entire field of law enforcement is being vilified for the actions of a few bad officers. We can not and will not let that be the case in Nebraska. We ask so much from our law enforcement officials, and it is our solemn responsibility to ensure that our officers are respected and have the resources necessary to serve and protect.

This week is the perfect time to highlight the county sheriffs and police chiefs in our district. Not only do these outstanding men work diligently to keep our district safe, they are also active members of their community. They exude love for their cities, counties, and state, and we should be grateful for them and all those in our community who answer the call to serve.

• Sheriff Colin Caudill- Otoe County Sheriff
• Sheriff Brent Lottman- Nemaha County
• Sheriff Branden Lang- Pawnee County
• Sheriff Scott Walton- Johnson County
• Sheriff Richard Hardesty Jr.- Richardson County
• Chief Dave Lacy- Nebraska City Police Department
• Fmr. Chief Duane Armbruster- Falls City Police Department
• Chief Jameson Baker- Falls City Police Department

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln NE 68509-4604; telephone: 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov.